Apple Harvest Squares

I picked up this recipe in a bonus book from Taste of Home. Maxine Hearney posted the recipe and said it had been in her family for 75 years. It is really delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Made this today to use up some extra apples. The flavor was very good, but I would suggest a quick blind bake of the crust to add a little more sturdiness - they are very fragile. Plus, I prefer the taste of more well-done shortbread. The lemon juice is key; otherwise, these are very very sweet with no contrast. I added a little salt to both the shortbread and the topping, which was very welcome. Next time, I would also make sure my nuts were very finely chopped to ensure even distribution. My apples were sliced quite thin - I used the slicing side of a box grater - and I think that works the best. I will definitely make this recipe again with these little tweaks!